By Mazi Omife I. Omife, Mbuze Mbaukwu
Yes, I have no sympathy for Gov. Umahi for what happened to him recently.
I believe no true Igbo man or woman will sympathize with him either.
Because Ndigbo knew all along that the gods of the land were unhappy with him.
Even the God of Heaven is also not happy with him.
That was why everybody in every part of Igbo land are jubilating, except maybe those in government house Owerri.
If I had the powers of the court, I would have replaced him the same day.
Here was the supposed chairman of Igbo Governors’ Forum, and by implication, the political leader of Ndigbo. But he never protected Igbo interest for one day, just like his predecessor Theodore Orji. I don’t know why it is that anybody who assumes chairman of South East Governors forum, becomes problem to Ndigbo, with the exception of Peter Obi.
Look at Theodore Orji. Immediately he became the Abia State Governor, he embarked on a massive retrenchment of Igbos from other Igbo sister states in his government and Abia State Civil Service, on the pretext that the government had no money to pay salaries. Funny enough, other non-Igbo workers, including Hausas and Yoruba were not sacked.
Yet, when the EFCC arrested him, the money he was charged of embezzling was enough to pay the entire south east workers salaries for 100 years.
Just like his brother Umahi. When Umahi left PDP for APC, he made the world believe that it was because APC will give the presidency to an Igbo man. This is where I have problem with Umahi, when he told the world that his action was a protest against the injustice meted to Igbos by the PDP over the years. But there is nothing to show that Umahi loves the Igbos to speak for their interest.
Let’s go down memory lane.
1. In the first place, Umahi and his family benefitted from PDP more than any other Igbo members of the PDP.
• Umahi was Ebonyi State PDP chairman for many years.
• He was Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State under PDP for 8 years.
• He won the governorship of Ebonyi State under PDP ticket and has been governor of Ebonyi State for 7 years now.
• His junior brother, Austin Umahi was Chairman of PDP, South East zone until he resigned when Umahi left PDP for APC and joined him in APC.
• His other younger brother, Maxwell Umahi was former deputy chairman of PDP Ebonyi State.
• His nominee is still a member of PDP National Working Committee.
Umahi should have used these capacities to secure the presidential plot for igbos. In spite of the above, Umahi turned round to accuse the PDP of injustice, whatever he meant by that, even when he had been one of the most influential members and beneficiaries of the party at State, zonal and national levels. Which, by simple logic, means that he was part of whatever problem there is in the PDP, thereby deceiving himself, thinking he was deceiving the Igbos.
2. When Ohaneze Ndigbo adopted the PDP because the party was in support of restructuring of the country, even though Igbo youths opted for secession, and also because Atiku, then PDP presidential candidate picked an Igbo person, Peter Obi, as running mate, despite strong opposition from other geopolitical zones. Instead of commending Ohaneze, as a frontline member of the PDP whose party was bound to get block votes from Igbos because of the Ohaneze endorsement, Umahi was the first person to oppose the Ohaneze action as well as Peter Obi’s candidature. Yet Umahi said he loves the Igbos.
3. When Umahi continued to oppose Peter Obi, Obi reportedly went to him to plead with him. Umahi asked him to come to the Governors Forum which Peter Obi did. It was even alleged that Peter Obi knelt down before the Igbo governors as he tried to persuade them not to miss a golden opportunity for Igbo presidency as Atiku promised to stay in office for four years and hand over to his Igbo vice president.
Peter Obi was even said to have agreed to step down as Atiku’s running mate to be replaced by any other Igbo person, provided an Igbo person was seconded to Atiku. In spite of all this, Umahi refused to endorse Peter Obi and insisted that Atiku came personally to apologize to the Governors Forum for not consulting the Igbos before he picked Peter Obi as running mate. And Umahi says he loves the Igbos. I asked myself, Atiku coming to apologize to Umahi for what?
In 1979 election, when Zik of the NPP chose Prof Ishaya Audu from the North as running mate, did Zik consult the Hausa-Fulani or Northern Governors Forum?
When Ibrahim Waziri of the GNPP chose Dr. B. U. Nzeribe as running mate, did Waziri first ask the Igbos?
When Awolowo of UPN chose Barrister Philip Umeadi as running mate, did Awo consult the Igbos?
When Aminu Kano of PRP chose Mazi S. G. Ikoku as vice, did Aminu discuss with the Igbos?
When Shagari of NPN chose Dr. Alex Ekwueme, did Shagari ask Igbos for their consent?
Did Abiola of SDP consult the north when he chose Kingibe or Tofa of NRC seek approval from Igbos before picking Sylvester Ugo?
When Obasanjo chose Atiku as vice, did he consult the Fulani?
When Yar’ Adua chose Goodluck Jonathan, did he consult the Ijaws or South South zone? And when Jonathan chose Sambo, did he consult the north?
In the current regime, did Buhari consult the Yorubas before choosing Osinbajo?
Also under the military, when General Buhari chose Idiagbon as deputy, did he consult the Yorubas? And when IBB chose Ebitu Ukiwe as deputy, did IBB take permission from Igbos. Or when he later chose Aikhomu, did he go begging Edo people?
In all previous regimes in this country both military and civilian, we have never heard of any presidential candidate consulting other tribes before choosing their deputies.
4. During Peter Obi’s campaign, there were only five Peter Obi campaign billboards in the entire Ebonyi state. But not a single of them was sponsored by Umahi administration. The entire five were funded by Sam Egwu, Anyim Pius Anyim and other friends. In other regions, the governor’s party takes major lead in campaigning for their party member. Yet, Umahi’s junior brother was the South East chairman of the PDP. And Umahi says he loves the Igbos.
5. As obtains in other places, there was no reception to support Atiku and Peter Obi ticket in the South East, so that Igbos can have a strong say in his administration. This should have been the onus of Umahi as chairman of Igbo governors forum where PDP is majority. But he did not. And he says he loves the Igbos.
It was Chief Barrister Ugochukwu Agballah, now APC Enugu State Chairman, who used the Igbo Improvement Union of which he was National president to organize a grand reception for Peter Obi. The grand event was attended by many Igbo leaders, traditional rulers and others including Jim Nwobodo, Iwuanyanwu and others. I am not sure any of the Igbo governors went to the function and if any of them came, it was not Umahi. And Umahi says he loves the Igbos.
6. Since its formation, Igbos have benefitted from PDP in many capacities, including five Senate presidents, deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, Chief of Army Staff, I. G. of police, Secretary to the Federal government, twice PDP National chairman, twice PDP national secretary, Vice Presidential candidate and Ministers and Chairmen of high ranking ministries and parastatals. What has APC done for Igbos, that made Umahi decamp to the party to get justice for Igbos? Sheer self-deceit.
All these positions were made possible by previous South East leaders of the PDP at zonal and State levels. when Umahis took control of South East PDP, it should have been their task to secure PDP Presidential ticket for South East. Why is Umahi running away from the party? And I ask, who is pursuing who? Could it be the gods of the land that pursued him out of PDP, knowing he has no love for Ndigbo ?
7. There were allegations sometime, true or false, that for one week, there was heavy bombardment at Obigbo in Rivers State, which is an Igbo community. People expected Umahi, as chairman of Igbo governors forum, to rush to Port Harcourt a day or two after the incident started, or even if he cannot go, call Wike on phone as a fellow governor to stop the carnage until the matter is discussed with a view to protecting the lives and property of the embattled Igbos in Obigbo. Umahi did not. And Umahi says he loves the Igbos.
When Umahi, some of his co-governors and Ohaneze leaders decided to visit Wike, after much pressure from Igbos, Umahi went to Port Harcourt with a crowd of over 100 people, which made the meeting with Wike to be held in a large hall that was filled to capacity, turning what was supposed to be an important and serious peace meeting to a mere political jamboree of sorts.
It was only Wike who showed he came for serious business, by the way he kept thundering his points which turned out to be a one-sided account as none of the accused Igbo boys was there to tell their side of the story. When it was his turn to speak, it was both laughable and pitiable watching Umahi beaming with goatish smiles that reflected little seriousness of purpose as he took the microphone and began to eulogize Wike as a great leader and very annoyingly, Umahi and his entourage ended up singing and dancing in praise of Wike. This was on tape which went viral.
“Wike, Wike, Wike k’anyi g’eso…Ma ona eme mma ma ona eme njo Wike k’anyi g’eso…” Tragic isn’t it?
As Wike gazed at the dancers, he must have wondered what sort of Igbo leaders were these who converted a serious and sensitive mission for peace and protection of Igbos to a musical concert. And Umahi said he loves the Igbos.
8. It is funny Umahi said he went to APC to bring justice to Igbos. Funny indeed, when there are eminent Igbos in the APC like Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Senator Andy Ubah, Dr Chris Ngige, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Chief Rochas Okorocha, Senator Ken Nnamani, Barr. Sullivan chime, Sir Emeka Offor and a host of others. So Umahi thinks that all these people are mere robots in the APC, and that what they are unable to do for Igbos, he has come to do. Poor Umahi. Just deceiving himself. Or seeking protection in APC from EFCC.
9. When Peter Obi was chairman of South East Governors Forum, he achieved a lot for Igbos. If nothing else, when Ojukwu, a designated rebel against the Federal government of Nigeria died, Obi was able to secure a state burial for him. I guess that if it were under Umahi leadership, he would have quickly sent a letter to the Federal government reminding them thi Ojukwu was a terrorist.
10. When Chinua Achebe, also labeled a rebel for contemptuously rejecting Nigerian national award over the desecration of his state by political rascals at the time, Pete Obi secured a state burial for him.
11. It made national headline news the last time Nnamdi Kanu appeared in court at Abuja that the DSS disallowed him from wearing the tiger head cloth which is the acclaimed cultural wear of Igbos. But in the history of court proceedings in this country, no defendant from any of the other tribes had ever been prevented from wearing their native attire to court. Even Buhari, a Fulani was donned in the same Isiagu attire the last time he visited Owerri, only for a bona fide Igbo man to be prevented from wearing his peoples cultural cloth.
Since then, I had waited for Umahi and his claim to Igbo interest or Ohaneze leaders to speak against this deafening injustice. None to this day.
12. Before the Igbo governors proscribed IPOB, they invited Nnamdi Kanu to a meeting at Enugu Government House. At the end of the meeting, as Kanu was about to enter the car that brought him, the governors called him back for a group photograph after which each of the governors took turns to take snapshot with Kanu. So then, how come the governors held a meeting with a terrorist, and even took photographs with a terrorist?
13. When the menace of armed robbers became uncontrollable in the North, the Northern governors went to the Federal government and secured amnesty for convicted bandits who killed tens of hundreds of people. Even captured members of the dreaded Boko Haram in the north were released and even sent on special rehabilitation course.
A similar instance took place in Benue where the most notorious criminal in the State, Terwase Akwaza, alias “Gana” was granted state pardon and was being escorted in a government convoy to be accorded a State House reception when he was killed on the way.
But over here, Umahi as chairman of Igbo governors forum, made no effort to approach Igbo boys accused of terrorism for the purpose of providing them a level playing ground for the Federal government to dialogue with them as the Northern governors did for their own boys. Yet Umahi says he loves the Igbos.
When Uwazurike’s mother died while he was in detention, it was Uche Chukwumerije who fought to secure a bail for him to go and bury his mother. But when Nnamadi Kanu’s parents were to be buried, Umahi-led Igbo governors forum did nothing like Chukwumerije did. In fact, Umahi did not send one line of condolence message to the bereaved family. It was former chairman of South East governors forum, Peter Obi, Victor Umeh and others who were there. Yet Umahi says he loves the Igbos.
15. When the Senate and House of Representatives recommended the sack and replacement of serving service chiefs for ineffectiveness against insecurity in the country, a view shared by most irrespective of regions or political party affiliations, it was only Umahi who rose in defence of the service chiefs even when he is aware that Igbos have long complained about the exclusion of the South East in the list of service chiefs.
When General Ihejirika was sacked as a Service Chief, how many northern governors protested? Did Umahi as then deputy governor of Ebonyi State oppose his sack? Yet Umahi says he loves the Igbos.
16. When the Inspector-General of Police established a new zonal police office in Anambra State, why other well-meaning Igbo politicians and non-politicians hailed the move and commended the I. G. of police for the additional security outfit in Igbo land, Dave Umahi raised fire and fury against the establishment of the new zone, declaring that his State would not recognize or patronise the new zone, and rather align with Calabar zonal police office. Yet Umahi says he loves the Igbos.
17. Umahi exhibited the same divisive posturing during the Abakaliki Street renaming episode two years ago when he publicly threatened a reprisal by his government against Anambra residents and business people in Ebonyi State over a matter which he, as a sister governor, could have called his Anambra counterpart over the phone to discuss and resolve as colleagues and Igbo leaders.
Thank God that Governor Obiano acted in a more mature and tactical manner behooving of a leader to calm and resolve the matter by promptly naming a longer street in a more strategic and popular area of Awka city after Abakaliki. If not for Obiano’s mature approach, the incident could have caused serious division in Igboland.
18. Recall that Umahi as chairman of Igbo governors and therefore virtual leader of the opposition in South East, once had the gut to tell the world how he rented a crowd for the APC during an APC Presidential campaign rally at Abakaliki. Yet Umahi did not flood Ebonyi State with mere posters of Peter Obi, his brother
Which proves that even if Umahi remained in PDP, there could have been no way the party could have made him their presidential candidate because they cannot trust him.
Let me say this. Umahi could have been one of the greatest Igbo leaders, especially in terms of good governance and solid record of achievements as governor if only he had shown interest in Igbo cause, lack of which totally rubbished his record.
It also proves that Umahi formally moving to APC has nothing to do with Igbo interest or love for Igbos but purely a personal political agenda. The gods of our land have exposed him and proved me right.